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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28023480">Be Careful What You Wish For</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VikingSong/pseuds/VikingSong'>VikingSong</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fake Character Death, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Morbid, Post-Magic Reveal, Sarcasm, Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin), but also slightly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:21:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>309</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28023480</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VikingSong/pseuds/VikingSong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A slightly morbid and hopefully humorous triple-drabble in which Merlin learns to "be careful what you wish for."</p>
<p>Set very loosely in early S2.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Be Careful What You Wish For</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Be Careful What You Wish For</strong> </span>
</p>
<p><em>Be careful what you wish for</em>, Merlin thought with a sigh as he dodged Arthur's rapid strides across his chambers toward the door.</p>
<p>It had been one week since Merlin's "death"—one week since Uther had found out about Merlin's magic and sentenced him to death.</p>
<p><em>At least it was hanging and not the pyre</em>, he mused, <em>or this never would have worked</em>.</p>
<p>Arthur—and the rest of Camelot assembled in the courtyard—had seen Merlin's short drop and sudden stop. But what they hadn't seen was more important—the flash of gold indicating that Merlin had a backup plan.</p>
<p>/\/\/\/\/\/\/\</p>
<p>Gaius had taken charge of Merlin's body to convey it to Merlin's mother in Ealdor for burial. A distraught Arthur, unable to sway his father on the sentence, had at least managed to secure that final dignity.</p>
<p>Just out of sight of Camelot, Gaius had stopped the cart bearing the “body” and cast the counterspell, reviving Merlin from his death-like state. A flurry of syllables and Merlin vanished—at least to the naked eye. After a quick jaunt to Ealdor to assure his mother that he was not, in fact, deceased, he had returned to Camelot to continue his destiny.</p>
<p>/\/\/\/\/\/\/\</p>
<p>Normalcy returned. Arthur attracted magical threats like bees to honey, Merlin magically saved the day, and Arthur took all credit.</p>
<p>
  <em>Rinse and repeat.</em>
</p>
<p>But instead of Arthur hurling insults at Merlin, said insults flew at hapless servants crossing the prince's path.</p>
<p>"<em>Mer</em>lin never forgot the ceremonial sword!"</p>
<p>"<em>Mer</em>lin never got lost during a hunt!"</p>
<p>"<em>Mer</em>lin was actually literate! This speech makes no sense!"</p>
<p>Merlin rolled his eyes. Only last week he'd wished Arthur would actually compliment him once in a while…</p>
<p><em>Be careful what you wish for</em>, he thought, dashing unseen past the door before it slammed in Arthur's wake.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>3 scenes, 100 words each. Cross-posted from ff.net (originally posted on 08/06/2014).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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